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Category Archives: Soybeans

View from the Field

Corn Foliar Diseases

There are many reports of corn foliar diseases this week. Northern corn leaf blight and northern corn leaf spot are the predominate diseases in fields. The diseases will cause very little yield losses this time of the growing season.

Northern Corn Leaf Spot

Northern Corn Leaf Spot

northern corn leaf blight

Northern Corn Leaf Blight

White Mold-Sclerotinia stem rot

There are many reports of white mold in soybeans. Sometimes a field can look very healthy and a few dead stem sticking up in the field. If you look below the canopy in these areas, it is likely you will find white mold. In severe infestations, it can reduce yield dramatically. Once it reaches this point there is nothing you can do this year. For more detailed information on which varieties had more or less white mold see Jaime Cummings article below: Soybean White Mold Variety Trial – Genesee County, 2018

Dead Plant-White Mold

Under the canopy-White Mold

Stored Grain Pests

Sometimes we forget about the grain bins and possible pests! It is very important to clean out the bins and all the excess grain. This can be a reservoir for certain insect pests. See article below for more information on stored grain pests.

Western Bean Cutworm

Western Bean Cutworm pheromone trapping has ended for this year. As you start to harvest your corn check for the worms and possible damage. As the population of this pest increases, you may start to see damage in areas of the state that has not had a problem yet.

Western Bean Cutworm Damage

Soybean Sudden Death Syndrome

There have been reports of finding soybean sudden death syndrome in soybean fields across the state. This relatively new disease in NYS is associated with soybean cyst nematode. While soybean cyst nematode has only been confirmed in Cayuga County it is thought across much of the state. If you get this disease, we would like to get a soil sample from the field. Here is the method of collecting the sample: https://www.thescncoalition.com/

Weather Outlook – September 13, 2017

Jessica Spaccio

NOAA Northeast Regional Climate Center, Cornell University

Last week temperatures were within 2 degrees of normal. Precipitation has ranged from ¼ “ to over 3”. Base 50 growing degree-days ranged from 40-120.

Scattered showers Thursday into Friday, dry for the weekend. Moisture from Hurricane Florence to reach NY next week?

Today temperatures will in the 70s to low 80s, with scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms. Localized heavy downpours are possible. Overnight lows will be in the low to mid 60s.

Friday will be in the 70s to mid 80 with scattered afternoon showers and thunderstorms. Overnight temperatures will be in the low to mid 60s.

Saturday will be dry with temperatures in the mid 70s to mid 80s. Just a slight chance of afternoon showers. Overnight temperatures will be in the upper 50s to mid 60s.

Sunday highs will be in the mid 70s to mid 80s with continued dry conditions. Overnight temperatures will be in the upper 50s to mid 60s.

Monday temperatures will be in the 70s. Precipitation is questionable due to Hurricane Florence. Overnight temperatures will be in the 60s.

Tuesday highs will be in the 70s. Precipitation is questionable due to Hurricane Florence. Overnight temperatures will be in the 60s.

Wednesday highs will be in the 60s to low 70s. Precipitation is questionable due to Hurricane Florence. Overnight temperatures will be in the 60s.

The seven-day precipitation amounts will range from an inch to over three inches. Highly dependent on track of moisture from Hurricane Florence.

The 8-14 day outlook (Sept 20-26) slightly favors below-normal temperatures for part of the state and slightly favors above-normal precipitation for western to central NY.

Soybean White Mold Variety Trial – Genesee County, 2018

Jaime Cummings, NYS Integrated Pest Management Program

White mold, or Sclerotinia stem rot, caused by the fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is the most economically important and difficult to manage disease of soybeans across NY State (Figure 1). This disease is so undermanaged because the pathogen survives for a long time (>10 years) in the soil, making crop rotations a challenging management option. Fungicide trials in other states have shown great promise for a number of products (https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/Carringtonrec/plant-pathology/fungicide-efficacy-testing-results-2013-soybeans), but application timing and canopy penetration is critical and may require multiple applications during a highly conducive season, which may not be economical. Genetic resistance to this devastating disease should be a viable option, but many commercial varieties lack even modest levels of resistance.

A large-scale, non-replicated strip field trial was established in Genesee County to evaluate 24 soybean varieties for resistance white mold. The trial was organized by WNYCMA and planted on 5/1/18 in a field with a long history of white mold infection. The varieties evaluated in this trial included entries from five seed companies, and were representative of maturity groups 0.7 – 2.8. The trial was rated for white mold severity on 9/5/18 by Jaime Cummings of the NYS IPM Program and Dr. Gary Bergstrom of Cornell’s field crops pathology program using a 1 to 9 rating scale, where 1 = resistant, and 9 = susceptible. The disease was well established consistently across all strip plots at the time of rating, despite it being rotated out of soybeans since 2014. The disease ratings are summarized in Figure 2.

The ratings for all varieties ranged between 4 and 7, meaning that all varieties were classified as moderately resistant (3.6 – 5.9) or moderately susceptible (6.0 – 7.5) at the time of the rating. However, the disease would most likely progress in these plots over time, which would likely add one or two points to each rating, pushing many of them into the susceptible category (7.6 – 9). Even though none of the varieties evaluated showed strong resistance, it is good to note that there are noticeable differences among varieties.

New York soybean growers do have options for selecting varieties with some moderate levels of tolerance to this disease, and should know to avoid planting the most susceptible varieties in fields with a history of the disease. An integrated management plan which includes crop rotation, canopy management, foliar fungicides and planting tolerant varieties is the best approach to managing white mold in NY.

Storing grain…Remember Pests!

Ken Wise, NYS IPM

Do you have plans to store your soybeans and grain corn harvest on the farm? If so CLEAN your storage bins before loading grain into the bins. Sanitation is the key to keeping insect pests out of your stored grains. The following is a step by step method for IPM in stored grain: